Paul Petersen
William Paul Petersen (born September 23, 1945) is an American actor, singer, novelist, and activist who was one of the Muppeteers from the Muppet Show Club. He also played Anthony Biddle's son, Tony Biddle in The Happiest Millionaire. Paul is a 9½-foot tall blue Muppeteer. His size may make him imposing, but he has a sweet and gentle disposition. He first appeared as one of Cosmo Scam's evil henchmen in the 1970 Christmas special The Great Santa Claus Switch, partnered with a green monster named William. In a 1971 Dick Cavett Show appearance, Jim Henson referred to Paul as a large Frackle, though Paul is not generally considered part of that group of monsters. As a full-bodied Muppet, combined with his droopy, friendly face, Paul was especially well-suited to dance numbers, on television and in stage shows, and he was partnered with several famous ladies over the years. He appeared on stage with Nancy Sinatra as part of her stage show in 1971, and in the unfinished TV version Movin' with Nancy: Nice 'n' Easy (1973). Also in 1973, Paul Petersen was featured prominently in "Oh Babe What Would You Say," with Julie Andrews in The Julie Andrews Hour. He also had a featured number in the 1974 pilot The Muppets Valentine Show, singing and dancing "Real Live Girl" with Mia Farrow. On The Muppet Show Club, he could be seen in the opening theme (alongside John "Lee" Johann, Donna Loreen, and two of The Mutations) from season two on. Thog appeared in a number of segments including: as a "dangerous" animal in episode 110; reprising "Oh Babe What Would You Say," this time with Kaye Ballard, in episode 123; dancing backstage with ghosts and monsters in "Once a Year Day" and detonating a blast for "School's Out" in episode 307; and demolishing a desert research facility in Loretta Swit's number, "I Feel the Earth Move," in episode 502. He is mentioned, but unseen, in episode 217, playing badminton with Sweetums, and using Dennis's chicken as a shuttlecock. In 1978, Sigma Ceramics produced a papier-mache Christmas ornament of Paul. In 2003, Palisades Toys released a PVC mini figure of Paul, the first Paul toy ever produced. As first revealed in behind-the-scenes photos and trailers, Paul was present in The Muppets; his first appearance in a Muppet production for more than three decades. Here, Paul Petersen (rebuilt by Jim Kroupa) appears to be much larger than he was originally; in one scene, he briefly gets stuck going through the arches during the rehearsal for "The Muppet Show Club March Theme" recreation, causing Paul to have to walk in front of them. Tyler Bunch, performing the Paul puppet during the movie, noted his increased size (2 and a half feet taller than the original) was due to Kroupa not having enough reference material to go off of to determine the puppet's original size. Casting History Primary performers: * William Paul Petersen from The Great Santa Claus Switch (1970), The Muppet Show Club (1980) And The Muppets (2011) Notes: * Although still voiced by himself, Paul performed in the Mouseketeer Costume at least twice: in episodes 307 and 502. Filmography * The Great Santa Claus Switch * The Dick Cavett Show * Movin' with Nancy: Nice 'n' Easy * The Julie Andrews Hour ("Oh Babe What Would You Say?") * The Muppets Valentine Show ("Real Live Girl") * The Muppet Show Club ** "The Muppet Show Club March Theme" (Seasons 2-5) ** Episode 108: Paul Williams (Blackout) ** Episode 110: Harvey Korman (Circus sketch) ** Episode 123: Kaye Ballard ("Oh Babe, What Would You Say?") ** Episode 212: Bernadette Peters ("Take a Little One Step") ** Episode 307: Alice Cooper ("Once a Year Day," "School's Out") ** Episode 312: James Coco ("Short People") ** Episode 502: Loretta Swit ("I Feel the Earth Move") * Julie Andrews: One Step Into Spring * The Muppet Movie ("The Rainbow Connection" Finale) * The Muppets * Muppets Most Wanted Book Appearances * The Muppet Show Book (1978) * The Comic Muppet Book (1979) * It's The Muppet Show! (1979) * Muppets at Sea (1980) * Fozzie's Big Book of Sidesplitting Jokes (1981) * Two for the Show (1982) * Jim Henson's Muppet Show Bill (1982) * Bo Saves the Show (1982) * The Phantom of the Muppet Theater (1991) * Look and Find Muppets (1995) * The Muppet Show Comic Book: Meet the Muppets (2009) * The Muppet Show Comic Book: Pigs in Space (2009) * The Muppet Show Comic Book: On the Road (2010) * Muppet Snow White (2010) * The Muppets Character Encyclopedia (2014) Sources # ↑ Ask Henson.com, question 38 # ↑ Lussier, Germain. "Set Photos: The Muppets Take Over Hollywood Boulevard", Slashfilm. com. January 18, 2011. # ↑ Getting Felt Up episode 8 # ↑ 2momluvme.com interview # ↑ Of Muppets and Men -- there's a picture of Whitmire in Thog's costume Category:Muppeteers Category:1950s Characters Category:Characters